TORONTO and WINNIPEG, Jan. 24 /CNW/ - Cangene today announces
that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has approved
Accretropin (somatropin (rDNA origin)) Injection, Cangene's
recombinant human growth hormone ("rhGH"). The drug is indicated
for treatment of pediatric patients who have growth failure due to
an inadequate secretion of normal endogenous growth hormone, or
treatment of short stature associated with Turner Syndrome in
pediatric patients whose epiphyses are not closed. "This is a
significant accomplishment. Accretropin is our first
recombinant product approval. Cangene continues to demonstrate that
it can take new products from development to approval effectively,"
said Dr. John Langstaff, president and CEO of Cangene. "We now have
four FDA-approved drugs."

Accretropin was submitted under section 505(b) of the United
States Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act in 2006. The product was
developed under a research and development agreement with the
Apotex Group, Cangene's majority shareholder, and Apotex retains
marketing rights for the product. Apotex and Cangene are assessing
the current market situation and related patent issues to determine
the most effective overall strategy for this product going
forward.

About Human Growth Hormone

Cangene's rhGH is identical in sequence to authentic human
growth hormone of pituitary origin and is manufactured in the
Company's biotechnology manufacturing facility in Winnipeg,
Manitoba. Natural human growth hormone is a protein produced by the
pituitary gland that acts on the ends of the long bones of the body
(epiphyses) until the onset of puberty and promotes growth to
normal stature. A deficiency of this hormone during childhood
results in abnormally small stature. A number of approved human
growth hormone products made by other companies compete for a large
international market.

Turner Syndrome is an X-chromosome-linked genetic disorder in
girls that results in short stature and infertility.

About Cangene Corporation

Cangene is one of Canada's largest and earliest
biopharmaceutical companies. It was founded in 1984 and is
headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cangene has approximately 650
employees in eight locations across North America. It operates
three large manufacturing facilities - two in Winnipeg, Manitoba
and one in Baltimore, Maryland - where it produces its own products
and undertakes contract manufacturing for a number of companies.
Cangene operates three U.S. and one Canadian plasma-collection
facilities. In addition, it has a regulatory affairs, sales and
investor relations office in Toronto, Ontario (NOTE: this office
moved effective January 2008, the new address is 180 Attwell Drive,
Suite 360, Toronto, ON, M9W 6A9; phone 416-675-8300; fax
416-675-8301).

The Company uses patented manufacturing processes to produce
plasma-derived and recombinant therapeutic proteins. Cangene has
four FDA and Health Canada-approved products and a fifth that has
been approved in Canada only. In addition, the Company has several
more products in development at various stages. Three of Cangene's
products have been accepted into the U.S. Strategic National
Stockpile - botulism antitoxin, anthrax immune globulin and
vaccinia immune globulin, a product used to counteract certain
complications arising from smallpox vaccination.

Capitalizing on its drug manufacturing expertise, Cangene also
operates a significant contract research and manufacturing business
using its Winnipeg facilities and the resources of Baltimore,
Maryland-based Chesapeake Biological Laboratories, Inc. (a wholly
owned subsidiary). An expansion in 2006 at the Winnipeg location
increased the Company's capacity to fractionate plasma to
accommodate the growing manufacturing requirements.

Forward-looking informationThe reader should be aware that Cangene's businesses are subject
to risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or quantified;
consequently, actual results may differ materially from past
results and those expressed or implied by any forward-looking
statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such risks or
uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the regulatory
environment including the difficulty of predicting regulatory
outcomes; changes in the value of the Canadian dollar; the
Company's reliance on a small number of customers including
government organizations; the demand for new products and the
impact of competitive products, service and pricing; availability
and cost of raw materials, especially the cost, availability and
antibody concentration in plasma; fluctuations in operating
results; government policies or actions; progress and cost of
clinical trials; reliance on key strategic relationships; costs and
possible development delays resulting from use of legal, regulatory
or legislative strategies by the Company's competitors; uncertainty
related to intellectual property protection and potential cost
associated with its defence; the Company's exposure to lawsuits,
and other matters beyond control of management.

Risks and uncertainties are discussed more extensively in the
MD&A section of the Company's most recent annual report and
annual information form, which are available on the Company's
website or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Scientific information
that relates to unapproved products or unapproved uses of products
is preliminary and investigative. No conclusions can or should be
drawn regarding the safety or efficacy of such products. Only
regulatory authorities can determine whether products are safe and
effective for the uses being investigated. Healthcare professionals
are directed to refer to approved labelling for products and not
rely on information presented in news releases. Drug names and
prescribing information may differ in various countries.

The cautionary statements referred to above should be considered
in connection with all written or oral statements, especially
forward-looking statements, that are made by the Company or by
persons acting on its behalf and in conjunction with its periodic
filings with Securities Commissions, including those contained in
the Company's news releases and most recently filed annual
information form. Forward-looking statements can be identified by
the use of words such as "expects", "plans", "will", "believes",
"estimates", "intends", "may", "bodes" and other words of similar
meaning (including negative and grammatical variations). Should
known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should
management's assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could
vary materially from those anticipated. The Company undertakes no
obligation to publicly make or update any forward-looking
statements, except as required by applicable law.

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